Data center infrastructure management (DCIM) refers to the integration of information technology (IT) and facility management to centralize the monitoring and management of a data center's data computing systems. Generally, DCIM is achieved using specialized software, hardware, and sensors to enable a common, real-time monitoring and management platform for a variety of data computing systems.
Conventional server enclosures for connecting and managing one or more electronic server components include a frame or cabinet, such as an extruded aluminum frame, having a plurality of universal mounting rails for receiving the server components. The server cabinet may also include a door made using a variety of materials or venting options to allow for increased airflow to cool interior server components.
In addition to the cabinet itself, many conventional server enclosures include specialized subsystems for providing additional monitoring or control for various conditions that may affect the servers located within the enclosure. For example, these subsystems may include asset management for tracking whether a server component is located within the enclosure, access control for preventing unwanted physical intrusion or tampering with the components within the enclosure, environmental monitoring for maintaining desired operational temperatures, and power management for managing power distribution to components in the enclosure.
One disadvantage associated with conventional enclosures is that none of them provide an integrated enclosure that consolidates all of these functionalities in a way that eases integration and configuration of the enclosure within an IT infrastructure. For example, locks can be electronic or keyed and are either standalone or networked-proprietary, but do not communicate with other systems. Environmental installations are also often a separate solution from the other automation components in the enclosure. Power monitoring, control, and reporting are typically performed through on-board intelligence located within the power distribution units themselves.
Another disadvantage associated with conventional enclosures is that none provide a single network connection to manage these functions. Because each subsystem is typically managed using a separate network connection, a fully loaded enclosure may require many network connections (e.g., IP addresses, Ethernet cables, network ports). These extra network connections associated with conventional un-consolidated enclosures lead to added time and expense required to implement and manage such systems.
Two types of DCIM offerings now exist in the market. The first is software suites that integrate multiple functions. The second is point solutions, which are focused on individual functions. However, a solution that is integrated at the hardware level is lacking. Data center command center/control center consoles can obtain some information about data center conditions but typically cannot ascertain in-rack information.
None of the conventional devices described above provide an integrated DCIM equipment cabinet that consolidates a variety of equipment monitoring and control functions while making the cabinet cheaper and easier to manage by providing a single network connection to the appliance. Instead, conventional devices may only consolidate one or a few types of monitoring or control functions and may provide a separate network connection for each of these functions, thus making conventional cabinets expensive and difficult to manage.